


Skulls and Horns

by loki_of_jotunheim



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: (well some of them do anyways. i sort of sprinked a few words in as common usage, Clone Troopers Speak Mando'a (Star Wars), Gen, Mando'a Language (Star Wars), but none of them really have a solid idea of where it's from, inspired by a single shot in S2ep4 and my special interest in the mandalorian, it's important to them), just that they know the words and for some reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29790195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loki_of_jotunheim/pseuds/loki_of_jotunheim
Summary: The symbols on the armor had just started appearing one day amongst the ranks of the GAR clones. No-one quite knew where it came from, and those who didn't quite view the clones as much more than meat to throw at the enimies figured it did no harm. Others viewed it as rare expressions of individuality that were needed to remind others of the clones as more than just cannon fodder and as persons.But the symbol some of the soldiers bore was errily familar, if you knew what you were looking for.Inspired by a few seconds of a shot in S2E04 of the Clone Wars and my obsession with the Mandalorian (and Mandalorians). I heard some clones talking in my head as sort of a crackfic thing and I figured what the hell, I'm already procrastinating homework enough.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Skulls and Horns

“What did you say it looked like again?” Spider (named after a particularly memorable night during training one day) tapped the chin of his helmet. The two new clone soldiers, Spider and Hizok (he had thought it sounded nice), were currently sitting in their barracks, finally having a moment's break. It had been a hard month for them, but their training had prepared them well. 

“Like a skull with….horns.” Hizok went to brush some dust off of the table sitting in between the beds but paused before he did. “Like this….I’m not sure about the horns, though.” 

Hizok drew a skull like he’d described in the dust on the table and Spider quickly got the gist of what he meant. 

“I can’t remember what directions the horns were or not though,” Hizok said frustratedly. 

“Maybe the same as our helmets?” A third voice suggested. “It would make sense.” The newcomer, CT837, not yet having picked a name for themself (they would in time), sat down cross-legged and leaned against the bed next to Spider and Hizok. A few more of their vode trickled in and were drawn into the conversation. 

A small discussion broke out and got heated for a while before they ended up taking a vote. The downwards design won out, from other various sketches of half-remembrances (most had only had glimpses, if that, of Jango Fett’s armor). 

“So, why were we trying to figure this out, anyway?” Drift, who had come in later on, asked. 

“I was thinkin’ about it and Spider wanted to know what it looked like.” Hizok shrugged. 

“I have an idea.” Adea spoke up, somewhat shyly. They were still a shiny and very young soldier (and every other person in the group had instantly become parental to them. It had confused the osik out of their Jedi commander, but he’d just learned to go with it), and not quite sure of themself yet in social situations. “Y’know how the Jedi have like, the symbol on their armor sometimes?” 

“Go on…” Drift said, curiosity piqued. 

“Could we paint it on ours?” Adea continued, slightly bolder. “I mean, if it’s not too...presumptuous.” 

“Actually, that’s a great idea.” Cody, who had come in earlier, spoke up in agreement. Excitement crept into his voice. “Anyone know where we can find some paint?” 

\--

The Jedi General Obi-wan Kenobi showed up the next day, and despite the initial bravado, the soldiers  _ were _ a little nervous about the response to the shiny (ha) new symbol they bore on their upper arm’s armor. 

“What’s this?” General Kenobi asked curiously after noticing it. 

“Well, sir,” Cody started, uncharacteristically nervously, “It’s just something Hizok was thinking about, from when he was younger, and well, we thought it might be…cool, to have something like your armor.” 

“Cool, hmm?” General Kenobi nodded thoughtfully. The soldiers prepared themselves for the slight disappointment. “I like it.” 

“You...do, sir?” Cody said, not managing to hide his surprise. 

“I do.” General Kenobi smiled. “Fun isn’t forbidden, and...regardless of the intent when the clone army was created, I think it’ll serve as a nice reminder for some that you’re individuals, not droids. Sometimes, for some I feel is an unfortunately necessity.” 

Cody wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. General Kenobi moved on and the day resumed like any other day would when he came by. 

\-- 

“Added designs to their armor, some of our soldiers have.” Yoda said as he met up with Kenobi later. “Curious, isn’t it?” 

“Curious, Master?” Kenobi asked.

“Forget their personhood, many do.” Yoda half-smiled. “But they do not always.” 

“No,” Kenobi said quietly, a small smile at the corner of his mouth, “No, they do not.” He paused as he remembered where he’d seen something similar before. “Huh.” 

Yoda gave him a questioning look and he elaborated. “I’ve just realized where the symbol is from - well, where i think it’s from, anyways. Jango Fett’s armor. They must not have seen much of it. To be fair, I don’t remember much either anymore.” 

“Their heritage, it is.” Yoda agreed. Obi-Wan nodded. The two continued into the Council meeting and the discussion was forgotten. 

\--

Twitch wasn’t sure where exactly the symbol had originated, but it appeared on his armor not long after he arrived at General Kenobi’s main barracks, where all of the troops under his command stayed. 

The longer he was around, the more he noticed it happen. A shiny new soldier would show up and a few days later (at the most), they bore the symbol that was coming to be associated with the GAR soldiers appeared as if by magic on their upper shoulder. 

It was nice… and for some reason, it evoked the feeling of going to a home he’d never seen. 

\--

General Kenobi walked through the long, long battlefield of fallen soldiers (Jedi, clones, other allies and enemies alike), heart heavy with grief. He had heard the screams of the Jedi but he’d also heard the devastating silence moments before disaster struck. 

Only then had he realized just what he’d grown used to hearing (or, feeling). The millions of clone soldiers being forced out of their own minds - and the Jedi they protected being made to run or kill them. 

The Jedi hadn’t been the only genocide that day, but they’d be the main, if only, one remembered of the two. 

His foot brushed against a loose piece of armor and he stopped, just for a second, to bend down and pick it up. The familiar symbol, started all those years ago (had it really only been three?), stared up at him, and he hung his head, overwhelmed for the moment. His padawan, his Jedi brothers and sisters….

And all of the men he had failed to protect. 

**Author's Note:**

> So the "silence" mentioned by Obi-wan is based on a headcanon I saw on Tumblr about how the Jedi didn't just hear the Jedi being massacred, but the clone soldiers being forced out of their own will and going silent too. Because while the clone troops might not have been force-sensitive, they were still people and the Jedi would have sensed them. The headcanon broke my heart and also made its way into my "this is part of my personal canon" collection. 
> 
> The symbol also might not be derived from Mandalore. But it's very similar to the Mandalorian symbol hanging on the wall in the covert (the show one) and also to some of the ones in TCW if you look at it right. Personally, I thought it would be really cool if that's where it originated and also a couple of the clones were yelling at me in my head about it. So...here you are. (Obi-wan also wouldn't shut up. Sorry!)
> 
> Also, yes, a little bit of Mando'a is here. 
> 
> Vode = brothers (i believe)  
> Osick = shit
> 
> Adea isn't Mando'a, but it was an attempt at evoking the word for child (ad/ad'ika (I think??)) 
> 
> Mind you, I'm still barely two seasons into TCW so...some of this might be off. Blame that for any inaccuries.


End file.
